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A listserv or e-mail discussion list is a special usage of email that allows for widespread distribution of information to many Internet users. An e-mail discussion list, like a traditional mailing list, is a list of names and addresses for distributing messages. An e-mail list is typically comprised of four things:
LISTSERV is actually a specific e-mail discussion list software, but now is commonly used to describe all such lists. LISTSERV set the standard protocol for managing e-mail lists.
There are two types of e-mail lists - announcement lists and discussion list. Announcement lists allow anyone to subscribe, but only designated administrators can send messages to those subscribed. They are commonly used for newsletters, press releases, and other one-way communications. Discussion lists allow subscribers to both send and receive list messages.
E-mail discussion list services are commonly bundled with additional social software services to help facilitate a stronger community. Additional functionality, such as spam detection, file uploads, polls, web-based subscription management, etc. are often provided.
E-mail discussion lists often require administration and monitoring to ensure that spam is reduced, that conversations remain civil, and that conversation is productive and encouraged. Here's a typical set of Etiquette rules for a mailing list.
Note that these software programs typically run on your own server and may require advanced administration or set up.
E-mail discussion lists provide one of the most accessible communication mechanisms available. E-mail is universal and generally very accessible. The list software or service you are providing should provide an accessible mechanism for managing the list subscriptions. In most cases, users can generally subscribe/unsubscribe to lists simply by sending an appropriate message to the list or a list administration e-mail address (typically something like the word "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line).
To ensure high accessibility, list messages should be kept on-topic and quoted messages should be trimmed to provide only the relevant details. This helps users in following conversations within complex, multi-message discussions without having to read the same messages over and over again. In general, the quoted message should appear before the text of the reply.